The Essentials
What it is.
A conventional denture is built from a physical impression, poured in stone, waxed by hand and packed with acrylic. Every one of those steps introduces a little distortion, and the distortion is why so many dentures need adjustment after adjustment before they settle.
A digital denture starts with a scan instead of a tray of impression material. The fit surface is designed on screen and milled from a solid, pre-cured disc — denser and stronger than packed acrylic, with no processing shrinkage to fight. Fewer appointments, a closer fit, and if it is ever lost or broken, the design is on file and it can simply be milled again.
Is This You?
Sound familiar?
- A denture that never quite settled, no matter how many adjustments
- Gagging on impression trays — or dreading the appointment because of them
- A denture that has been relined more than once
- Wanting a spare, without starting the whole process over
- Facing a first denture and wanting it done properly
The Process
What to expect.
- A scan, not a tray
The 3Shape TRIOS® scanner maps your ridges and bite with a small light wand. No impression material, no gagging, and nothing to distort on the way to the lab.
- Designed on screen — with you
Tooth shape, shade, midline and the fullness of your lip are chosen while you watch and react. A photograph of you before tooth loss is the most useful thing you can bring.
- Milled, not packed
The approved design is milled from a solid disc of pre-cured acrylic. No processing shrinkage, denser material, and a fit surface machined to the scan rather than to a stone model of it.
- Delivered and checked by a technician’s eye
Dr. Paulson spent eight years fabricating dentures before he ever delivered one, and he checks the finished work against the design the way a lab technician would.
Real Results
Before & after.
A digital denture case from Dr. Paulson’s files is being prepared for this page.
Every case on this site is a real Arbor Dental patientGood To Know
Questions, answered.
Are digital dentures more expensive?
Usually comparable, and sometimes less, because the process takes fewer appointments. We will give you the actual figure in writing before anything begins.
How many visits does it take?
Most cases are noticeably fewer than a conventional denture. The exact number depends on whether teeth need removing first and how your tissue heals.
Can a digital denture snap onto implants?
Yes. A digital denture can be made as a conventional denture or as an implant-secured overdenture, and the same scan supports either. If you are weighing the options, the full-arch ladder lays them out.
What if I lose it?
The design is stored. A replacement can be milled from the same file without repeating the scan and design appointments — which is not true of a conventional denture.
Ready when you are.
New patients are welcomed with an unhurried, comprehensive first visit — photographs, a conversation about your goals, and a plan you'll understand completely.
Schedule a Consultation